Jlaw
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While the country is going high on Make in India, the presence of national flags with ‘Made in China’ tag make a sorry statement of ground realities.
The Chinese version of the Tricolour has overwhelmed India-made ones these days in Delhi’s markets as buyers prefer them over the Indian ones.
Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar
But why is this?
Indian manufacturers of national flags are losing out to Chinese imports because of at least 30-35 percent price differential.
Invasion of cheaper, durable and finely printed China-made Indian flags is making the survival difficult for small Indian manufacturers. And therefore, local manufacturers have also begun using the same material used in Indian flags made in China. But in the bid of copying, they fail to match the finishing.
Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar
While locally made paper flags measuring 4x6 feet, 6x9 feet, 8x12 feet cost retailers Rs 130, Rs 150 and Rs 250 per hundred pieces respectively, the Chinese once cost them Rs 90, Rs 120 and Rs 220. In addition, because of the attractive and fine quality, the demands of the latter are also higher.
Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar
Similarly while the original Tricolour of the Indian make is costly, made from hand spun khadi, cotton and silk, buyers can now opt for a cheaper cotton Chinese version. China-made cloth flags measuring 10x15 inch costs retailers Rs 15 per piece, 20x30 inch costs Rs 30 per piece and 24x36 inch costs Rs 45 per piece. On the other hand, the flags of same measurements made in India cost Rs 20, Rs 35 and Rs 50.
The total turnover of the flag market in the national capital stands somewhere at Rs 4-5 crore.
Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar
“Demand of China-made Indian flags is higher because of its high quality and cheaper prices. As a result, Indian manufacturers are facing huge losses as only about quarter of their products find buyers,” Manoj Kumar Garg, a wholesale supplier of national flags at Delhi’s Sadar Bazaar, told Indiatimes.
Interestingly, during the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, there was a huge demand for the ‘Made in China’ Indian flags. But in their frenzy to raise slogans, he said, protesters didn't realise that the Tricolour they were waving with gusto were fake versions or a pale imitation of the original flag.
Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar
According to the Indian Flag Code of India, our national emblem, the Ashok Chakra—a 24-spoke wheel—is present on the flag, representing the eternal wheel of law. “However, some protesters realized to their utter horror that the flags they were patriotically waving had only 18 spokes instead of 24,” said Garg, who is involved in the business for the past 15 years.
Some blamed the rise in price of raw materials like good quality paper, cloths, etc for slack in their business. “Chinese manufacturers use a polyester type smooth material to make the flag. Also, the flag is held up with the help of a plastic stick. Though we are giving a tough competition to Chinese manufacturers in terms of quality and printing but we fail to beat their prices because of the skyrocketing prices of materials required,” said Abdul Ghaffar Ansari who deals in all kind of flags for the past 45 years.
Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar
He claimed that the khadi flags are not being sold in large quantities because of its limited supply. In schools, paper made flags are quite popular. Even here, Chinese manufacturers use hard and laminated papers with fine quality of printing if compared to Indian manufacturers.
Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar
He said the flags manufactured by him and others are supplied to the market for public consumption.
It does not go to government establishment because the flags used hoisted there are made up of hand spun khadi. The only authorised unit in India to manufacture and supply national flags to government departments is the Karnataka Khadi and Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangh (Federation) (KKGSSF), which is located in Bengeri village in Dharwad district of northern Karnataka.
Made in China;
Cheaper and better quality than made in India
I have a solution for India.
Modi should hire millions of Indian engineer grads who cannot find jobs or working in fields not related to engineering. At least making India flags they can be patriotic.
